Edmunds Arms - Barnsley

We called in for lunch heard good feedback, we orded steak pie and chicken pie the filling was OK but the crust was like rock, so disappointed.

To be truthful, I initially considered The Edmunds as my second option but after my experience, it will definitely be my top choice next time.

I never like to leave poor reviews and feel that I am always extremely fair and open minded always trying to give hard working and often young staff the benefit of the doubt. However.... having visited the Edmunds Arms and reflected over the past 24 hours I really need to express the level of disappointment at how we were treated by the staff and i use the phrase staff very loosely. We were a party of 5 and having been told earlier in the day we did not need to book we arrived looking forward to some nice pub food. We ordered drinks and I began looking at the menu on the bar only to be grunted at that you can 't have food, you haven 't booked . My friend explained that he had spoken to someone earlier and she said we did not need to book. The gruntee then went to the kitchen to ask if we could have food. Upon returning he just disappeared behind the back of the bar and said nothing. When he appeared again 10 minutes later i asked him if our request had been successful, he then said they were too busy, to which i looked round to see a virtually empty pub. (We did find out later that they had a party of 10 and a party of 7 to cater for..... yes that 's 17 people !!!! Becoming slightly bemused i again asked him if he would ask the kitchen again, my friend even showed him the proof of the call on his phone as he seemed to be intimating we were just chancing our luck ! With a large sigh and a drop of his sloping shoulders Charlie Chuckles departed for the kitchen, as he was on his way i said if it helps we 'll have 5 Chip Butties . Deja Vu ensued and he again returned and said nothing, simply doing his best Paul Daniels impression of disappearing in a puff of smoke which he seems to have perfected to a tee. After what seemed a lifetime (10 minutes !! he once again he reappeared from the back of the bar to which i asked to speak to the person in charge. Looking at me like i was speaking a foreign language he left to plough his now familiar furrow to the kitchen with all the energy of a Tortoise carrying some very heavy shopping. At this point a very nice lady appeared smiling and very apologetic and to her credit she did say we could have food later in the night, unfortunately it was too late for us, especially after Mr Charisma had wasted almost an hour playing hide and seek behind the bar. We would have had better conversation with Marcel Marceau ! When I explained that we would have been happy with a Chip Butty (and had said as much the lady looked at me surprised only for my favourite Bartender to pipe up and say in his best Lurch voice I thought you were being sarcastic !!!! Not being known for random acts of violence i made my apologies to my friends and left stating i would not be returning. Its such a shame that this historically beautiful pub is being let down by very poor customer service the like of which would make Basil Fawlty proud. However, the highlight of the evening was clearly Mr Charisma 's T shirt sporting the slogan Lets Talk .. No doubt given to him as someone with a sense of humour who thought the customers might like it...... in the words of the aforementioned Mr Daniels.. did we like it.... not a lot.

This place is now our local and we love it. Been coming here for 5 years. Managers come and gone but Fiona Andy are great can't do enough for you. All these rules not a problem we make our own entertainment.

As a group of around 8 we use this pub as a meeting point to catch up every few weeks. Done this for years and pub is great with good cheap beers.Offsetting all this is the installation of the latest landlady for about a year. Over that time it’s become obvious to us all what a dour woman she is.She calls it banter but every time she comes over to our table she tests us like naughty school kids (we’re all in early 50’s... and tries to belittle any one or all of us.Over the year she’s been installed, we’ve noticed the number of people has dwindled to a fraction of what it used to be and based on last nights remarks from her it will do so by a further 8 or so going forward.So if you per chance read these reviews at the Sam Smiths brewery head office, please find a decent landlady or landlord. The pub is great and always has been but I cannot spend anymore of my social time getting slapped down by this woman. I’m out to enjoy myself with my friends and it’s no longer enjoyable.Till things change, I won’t be using this pub again...Andy